Printing mechanism.



F, H, BIOKFORD.

PRINTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.21,1&111.

Patented 0ct.6,1914.

l/Vi/E/V TOR WITNESSES:

' ATT R/VEY FRANK H. IBICKFORD, OF

MUNCIE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADDER MgCHINE COMPANY, OF WILKES-BARBE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

PRINTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Application filed October 21, 1911. Serial No. 656,066.

T all whom it may concern: v 7 Be it known that I, FRANK H. Bioxrono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muncie, Delaware county, Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Printing Mechanisms, of which the followinn' is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in printing mechanisms, adapted to those machines wherein a type is brought opposite the printing line and is then caused to print by a blow from a striker.

The device constitutes an improvement on the mechanism disclosed in United States patent to Wales 940,758, dated November 23, 1909, wherein a series of slotted plungers located intermediate the hammers and the type carriers are pivotally supported on a bar passing through the slots. Springs connected to the respective plungers and to a rod in the frame normally retain the plungers retracted, and a stop bar extends over the rear or striking ends of the plungers to arrest the upward swing of the latter.

Qne object of this invention is to provide a, stronger, simpler and less expensive means whereby to communicate the impact of the hammers to the types.

A further object is to provide means tending to prevent what is known as ghosting, which results from a deviation of the plunger out of its normal path, whereby it contacts with two type stems causing the imprint of parts of two characters above or below the printing line. This improvement alsotends to prevent lateral or vertical displa ement of the plungers which would permithee to glance oil of the type stems.

l... the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through a printing mechanism of the well-known )Vales calculating machine, parts being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a broken plan. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the plunger mount. Fig. 4: is a perspective thereof.

Although the invention is illustrated as applied to a Wales calculating machine, its use is not confined thereto.

Fig. 1 discloses a single type carrier with its coiiperating mechanisms, it being under stood that this is but one of several such mechanisms arranged side by side in the machine, as partially illustrated in Fig. 2.

The type carriers comprising heads 3 have their stocks L slidably mounted be-,

tween guides 1 secured to the frame 2. Spring-retracted type stems L are slidably mounted in the heads 3 of the carriers, types 4 being secured on the rear ends of the stems to strike through a ribbon 5 against a platen M.

Bent levers L, (one only being shown), pivoted on a rod 6, are connected to the respective type carriers by links L and rocked in the usual manner to shift the carriers relatively to the platen, to bring the desired types opposite the printing line. The strokes of said levers may be controlled by the springs H and bars B, as explained in Pat.- ent No. 9l0,758.

Rests P on trip bars P are pressed against the arms L of the levers L by springs P The trip bars pass between guides 7,.and as the levers L rock in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1), when positioning the types relatively to the printing line, they free the trip bars P to th'e action of their springs P which cause the bars to contact dogs or' latches P normally occupying notches 8 in the hammers L, to displace said latches. The hammers are journaled on a shaft N and a detent 0 common to all the hammers and fast on a shaft 0? journaled in the frame, normally holds the hammers retracted or cocked. There are as many latches and trip bars as there are hammers, said latches operating to lock the hammers individually, so that unless the latches are tripped, the hammers controlled thereby are held idle when releasedby the detent' O, and no type impressions are made on the paper.

Each latch P may have a tail P to trip the next latch to the right, to efiec't the printing of ciphers as is well understood in the art.

Springs N connected to the respective hammers by slotted shackles 9 and to cranks N on a rock-shaft l0, drive the hammers on their effective strokes. A stop rod 11 passes through the slots 24: in the several shackles, which latter are connected to the hammers by pins 12 passing through openings 13 in the several hammers, of greater diameter than the pins.

During the initial stroke of the lever L, an angle lever N shown in dotted lines Fig. 1, fast on shaft N is turned by any si itable mechanism (not shown) to rock shaft 10 through link N and arm N thereby turning the crank N to tension the drive springs N of the hammers L The angle lever N being fast on the shaft N also rocks said shaft to withdraw a restoring bar 0 from in front of the hammers, said bar being connected to the shaft N by arms 14:. As the anglelever nears the end of its initial stroke, it brings one end of a slot 15 in a link U, against the free end of an arm 0 fast on the shaft 0 to rock the latter to displace the detent 0 against the tension of its locking spring 16 and release such of the hammers as have been freed from the latches P, to the action of their tensioned springs N Dwing to the idle preliminary travel of the link O due to the slot 15, the hammers are not released until after the types have been positioned relatively to the platen, and the type carriers brought to rest.

The foregoing construction is old and only constitutes part of the present invention, insofar as it is combined ith the new parts now to be set forth.

' Several plungers 17 are interposed between the hammers and the type stems L said plungers being arranged side by side and in line with the forward ends of the type stems when the latter have been brought to printing position, to transmit the force of the hammer blows to the types. In the present instance, said plungers are supported in a mount or bed comprising a pair of guide bars or members 18 spaced apart from each other and apertured to receive the plungers, which rest near their opposite ends in said guides, said opposite ends projecting beyond the respective guides. Preferably, the plungers are straight and cylindrical to fit into round apertures 19 in the .guides. Said apertures in one guide, in the present instance, are alined with the respective apertures in the remaining guide. Each plunger may have a shoulder or stop 20 against which one end of a spring 21 bears to normally hold the plungers in retracted position, said spring encircling the plunger. The guides 18 are secured to end plates 22 fastened to the frame 2 and a brace 23 connects the end plates to afford strength and rigidity.

The hammers whose latches P have been disengaged therefrom, when released by the detent O, are driven against the forward ends of the plungers to forcibly project the opposite ends thereof against those type stems 23 which are positioned for printing.

The length of the slots 24 in the shackles 9 is such as to arrest the action of springs N just prior to the contact of the types with the platen, but the hammers continue on their effective strokes under acquired impetus, due to the play between the pins 12 and the walls of the openings 13 in the by their springs N the type carriers and the types to their positions of rest and the return stroke of the angle lever N rocks the shaft 10 and the cranks N thereon to release the tension on the drive springs N Also said lever l 5 rocks the shaft N and restoring bar 0 to v retract or cook the hammers. The hammers ride under the spring-pressed detent O as they return to retracted position, and when the hammers clear the detent, the latter snaps over the hammers, under the tension of its spring 16, to hold them retracted, such operation of the detent being permitted by the slot 15 in link 0 which link has been returned toward normal position by the lever N The levers L on their return to normal position, press against the rests P on the trip bars P to withdraw the tr'fps from contact with their latches P, so that when the hammers L are cooked, said latches are snapped into locking engagement therewith by their springs 26.

It will be observed that the plunger section is self contained, inexpensive to manufacture, and may be readily applied to and removed from the frame. and durable and the spaced guides tend to prevent other than a direct backward and forward thrust of the plungers toward and from the type stems, whereby to prevent contact of the plungers with other than the type stems alined with the printing line, and to prevent the plungers from glancing off said stems.

"What I claim as new, is

1. In a printing mechanism, the combination with a frame; a series of type-carrying members; and a series of printing hammers therefor; of a self-contained plunger mechanism interposed as an entirety between the type-carrying members and the printing hammers, and fixed to the frame.

2. In a printing mechanism, the combina: tion with a frame; a series of type-carrying members; and a series of printing hammers therefor; of a self-contained plunger mechanism interposed as an entirety between the It is also strong type-carrying members and the printing hammers; and comprising a series of plungers; and a combined guiding and supporting means in which said plungers are shiftably mounted, said guiding and supporting means being fixed to the frame.

3. In a printing mechanism, the combination with a frame; a series of type-carrying members; and a series of printing hammers therefor; of a self-contained plunger mechanism interposed as an entirety between the type-carrying members and the printing hammers; and comprising a pair of apertured guiding and supporting plates; and a series of plungers seated in the apertures, the ends of said plungers extending beyond the outer faces of the plates.

at. In a printing mechanism, the combinationwith a frame; a series of type-carrying members; and a series of printing hammers therefor; of a self-contained plunger mechanism interposed as an entirety between the type-carrying members and the printing hammers; and comprising a series of plungers; a combined guiding and supporting means in which said plungers are shiftably seated; and springs coiled about the plungers and bearing against the guiding means and plun'gers, respectively.

5. In a printing mechanism, the combination with a series of type carriers adjustable relatively to the printing line; several type bars mounted for back and forth movement in the respective carriers and having types thereon; a hammer for each type carr1er, and means to trlp the hammers, of a self-contained plunger mount interposed, as

an entirety between the type bars and hammers, said mount comprising end plates secured to the frame of the mechanism, and a pair of apertured, oppositely disposed guides extending between the end plates; and spring pressed plungers, the opposite ends of which project through the apertures in the guides and lie in the paths of said hammers and opposite said types, respectively.

6. In a printing mechanism, the combination with a printing hammer, and printing type, of aperturcd guide members 18 interposed between the hammer and the stem of the type, a plunger 17 seated in the apertures, with its forward end in the path of the hammer and its rear end lying opposite the type stem when the latter is in printing position; said guide members constituting the sides of a plunger box, having ends 22 and a brace 23; a coiled spring 21 encircling the plunger and bearing against a stop thereon to restore the plunger to normal position.

FRANK H. BICKFORD.

In the presence of EDWARD W. SWAN, DANIEL C. SPENCER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

